Let’s Start at the Very Beginning

Julie Andrew’s singing “Doe a Deer” in The Sound of Music keeps echoing in my head. I wish it would stop. But, I think there’s a good reason for it. When you’re starting your own venture into DIY marketing, you need the primer, the Dick and Jane early reader, the ABC’s, if you will.

So let’s begin:

Advertising—Both verb and noun...it’s the act of promoting your business and the final result of your marketing campaign. It’s what you’re going to do for now until you’re so incredibly successful that you can afford to hire a big Madison Ave Agency to do it for you. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Brand—Who are you? Or rather, who is your business? If you’re a consumer (and who isn’t) you know more about brand than you realize. Once you establish your brand identity (which we’ll do in the weeks ahead) you’ll know exactly what your brand stands for--your brand message and what it promises. Then all your advertising will grow organically from there. (Ooooh, that sounds so Oprah, doesn’t it?)

Competition—Who are you up against? Huge multinational corporations or the mom and pop shop on the corner? This is an important factor in your marketing, so don’t think it doesn’t matter. Start looking at your competitors ads and websites. What are they promising? How is your business different, and most importantly, better?

This is just the start of course, and it’s enough to keep you busy for now. (C’mon now—just be patient. You didn’t start reading Tolstoy the minute you learned the alphabet did you?)

Photo Credit: jscreationzs:
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1152